The Los Angeles Post

PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL PARK COMMEMORATES NATIONAL TRAILS DAY JUNE 4 WITH ITS FIRST HIKE AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

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Hundreds expected to celebrate first new regional County Park in over 30 years, major step in fulfilling a promise to the San Gabriel Valley

PUENTE HILLS, CA (June 1, 2022) – After years of community advocacy, listening sessions and community engagement, the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (LA County Parks) is holding a community hike and celebration on June 4 to commemorate National Trails Day and announce the next phase of the Puente Hills Landfill Park Master Plan implementation. The festivities will start at 8:30 a.m. with a 2-mile hike to the crest of the park and culminate with the community celebration at 10:00 a.m.

After years of collaboration and conversation with community members and partners, LA County Parks is now advancing its #ParksForAll mission by developing the Puente Hills Landfill Park, a new 142-acre regional park to serve residents of the San Gabriel Valley and beyond. The new regional park will be home to a variety of recreational and passive opportunities including multi-use trails, running loops, equestrian staging, a bike skills park, as well as large open space areas and vistas. It will also provide natural areas for habitat and will allow visitors to gaze upon the beautiful scenery that surrounds the park. For many, the National Trails Day hike will be the first time visiting this open space.

“This is not only a proud moment for LA County Parks but a major environmental justice victory for the entire LA County Region. Once the second largest landfill in the Country, this park will be a national model for environmental restoration and a promise delivered to community.  We want to publicly thank the passionate efforts of our community members, community based-organizations and the immense and generous support from Supervisor Hilda Solis and Supervisor Janice Hahn because this park would not have been possible without them,” said Norma E. García-Gonzalez, Director, County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation. “The LA County Park’s mission is guided by equity and accessibility, and while there is still much work to be done, we are one step closer to delivering on this long-standing promise to the people of Los Angeles County.”

The Puente Hills Landfill Park will directly benefit the communities of Avocado Heights, Baldwin Park, Bassett, El Monte, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Pico Rivera, Rowland Heights, Whittier, Valinda, City of Industry and beyond.

The community is invited to celebrate on June 4th at 8:30am for a community hike along the Schabarum-Skyline Trail to tour the lands that will soon house the new regional park at Puente Hills. Attendees will enjoy music, food and refreshments and will receive a commemorative visor and merch for the event. Advanced registration is required to participate in this event at National Trails Day- Puente Hills Landfill Park Hike Tickets, Sat, Jun 4, 2022 at 8:30 AM | Eventbrite. Availability is on a first come first serve basis.

This celebration is also a thank you to those who have fought, advocated, and participated in meeting after meeting to ensure that this land was repurposed for the people for generations to come. Our plan is to create a special and inclusive “Park for All” offering recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities that celebrate the site’s unique history, technological innovation, and urban-wildland location, and topography. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District will serve a management partner for the landfill.  We are grateful to the District Directors for their support.